Cranberry

The cranberry is a slow-growing shrub covering the ground with its slender, finely interwined woody stems with evergreen leaves. Its flowers, either single or grouped at the base of the leaves, form a small white and pink corolla which blooms towards the end of June. The plant is self-fertilising, having both male and female reproductive organs, and is pollinated by insects. Its name comes from an adaptation of the German “Kranebeere” meaning “crane berry”. In cooking, the tangy berries are served with the traditional Thanksgiving turkey in the United States. The juice obtained from pressing the berries was also used by the Indians as a bright red dye for clothes. In traditional medicine, cranberry is a popular remedy to treat and prevent urinary and kidney problems, while the oil from cranberry seeds is believed to encourage the healing of wounds.